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Council greenlights phase‑2 mural program and downtown concert series to boost cultural tourism
Summary
The council authorized a second phase of the Downtown Mural Program (phase 2 curator agreement and $250,000 Art in Public Places funding) and approved a 12‑month outdoor concert series produced by Take 5 Entertainment for $132,000 to animate downtown Pearson Boulevard.
Desert Hot Springs on July 1 took several votes aimed at boosting the city’s downtown arts and events profile, approving the next phase of a mural program and a yearlong outdoor concert series.
Staff said phase 1 resulted in 12 high‑profile murals and significant regional attention. The council authorized the city manager to negotiate a professional services agreement with Casey Zolton and the Mural Supply Co. Phase 2 would again use the Art in Public Places restricted fund and budget roughly $250,000 (about $20,000 per mural) to secure artists and property agreements.
Council members debated whether the murals should include overt local historical references; staff said the scope of services requires curators to take local culture and themes into account and that written artist statements and plaques will provide interpretation at each site.
Separately, recreation staff presented a downtown outdoor concert series to be produced by Take 5 Entertainment: 12 monthly events, run October 2025 through September 2026, budgeted at $132,000 in the 2025–26 budget. The idea is to activate Pearson Boulevard with family‑friendly programming while preserving street operations by using temporary event space.
Both items passed unanimously. Proponents said the combined art and events strategy supports downtown revitalization and tourist traffic; critics urged keeping curatorial control light to let top‑tier artists continue to draw national attention.
